Karina was part of the first year to study Culture, Media & Creative Industries BA and is going into her second year of the degree at King’s College London.
As a freshly rolled-out degree in 2020, the BA in Culture, Media & Creative Industries (CMCI) is not your typical media degree. As part of the first-ever cohort on this course, here are a couple of things I wish more people knew about the BA:
- A unique offering of three different disciplines
At first glance – the words ‘culture, media and creative industries’ might feel…quite empty. In short, this degree is a unique blend of cultural studies, media studies and creative institutions. It may seem intimidating and unfamiliar at this point, but I can guarantee that the academic content we cover is a deep dive into contemporary debates about media and the creative industries!
This is bound to help you develop an all-rounded understanding of the wider, global cultural ecology. Not only will you realise that ‘culture’ is much more than just museums and heritage, but you could also gain specialised knowledge in gender and fashion within cultural studies; or cultural policy within creative institutions for instance as you advance further in the degree. - No exams!
The whole degree is coursework-based, with one assignment per module to complete at the end of each semester.
This came as a huge relief for people like me, who just don’t have the knack for taking written exams. Despite the CMCI BA being a theory-based degree, rest assured that you won’t be stuck with writing essays for three years straight. There’ll be a couple of practical assessments, such as producing a documentary, an environmental plan or even holding a cultural event of your own throughout the three years! The best part about these assignments (and the seminar discussions building up to them) is that they become opportunities to ‘dissect’ current events and case studies of your interest using contemporary theoretical knowledge learnt in lectures. As nerdy as it sounds, there’s no better feeling than researching and writing about something you love! - All-rounded student support
As a CMCI BA student, your personal tutor (who are also lecturers in the department) is your indispensable one-stop support for all things academic or even personal. They will be there for you from your first day as an undergraduate until the end of your journey at King’s! Aside from the administrative side of things, the CMCI BA being a highly career-focused degree also means that there are plenty of events and resources in place which can enhance your industry awareness to equip you for the cultural and creative sectors. For instance, being part of the CMCI department as a whole will mean that you have access to department-led seminars featuring lecturers’ cutting edge research, or even PhD students-led academic enrichment sessions. There’s also the Careers & Employability support with regular skills workshops and industry personnel talks to help prepare yourself for what’s to come after your degree. - Flexible studying time
Coming into King’s as an IB student, I was relieved to say the least, when I first opened up my timetable. Due to COVID-19, all lectures were pre-recorded throughout my first year with just 4 hours of seminars – my only formally scheduled teaching time.
Of course, I had to schedule in time to complete readings and seminar preparation. But it’s extremely rewarding to be able to flexibly organise my weekly timetables as this meant that I was free to engage in part-time work and spend time socialising through student societies!
Read more:
To explore King’s CMCI BA website for further details about the course, click here
To chat with a subject ambassador if you have any further questions, click here
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